I Will Be Back
by Aspen-SiredBySpike
Summary: [Set During Deathly Hallows] Pansy leaves with the other Slytherins during the evacuation of the students before the battle begins but instead of disapperating she wanders out into the night and meets someone that she was certain was gone forever...


**A/N: This is a Draco/Pansy oneshot that I am claiming is a scene I thought was missing from The Deathly Hallows. You can pretty much guess where it belongs but if you can't, it is when the students are pouring into the tunnel out of the school into the Hog's Head, evactuating before the battle begins. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

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**I Will Be Back**

Pansy Parkinson walked briskly ahead of her fellow Slytherin's determined to get out of the tunnel that led from the Room of Requirement to where, she had no idea. McGonagall may have told them where they would end up during her speech in the Great Hall, but if so, Pansy had not heard; her mind was too far away to concentrate on such menial things such as where she would find herself roughly half an hour from then.

As she sat at the Slytherin table, staring at the hundreds of other students in the room, her thoughts lingered with the one who wasn't there; Draco Malfoy hadn't returned to Hogwarts for his seventh and final year. After the incident last year with Dumbledore, rumors floated around that he didn't have the nerve to return, knowing well enough that people would jeer and shun him for his would-be attempt at throttling one of the most beloved headmasters the school had ever seen, while the members of his own house would chortle and mock his bereavement and failure, claiming that they knew he was never fierce enough to serve Lord Voldemort.

She hadn't seen him since that dreadful night nearly a year ago. Their only contact had been through letters sent back and forth by owl to Malfoy Manor, where she had learned that the Death Eaters were assembling, although it had been a huge risk for both of them to take; Draco knew that if the Dark Lord found out he'd been communicating with someone inside of Hogwarts aside from Snape, there would be hell to pay, the payment in question most likely coming in the form of a certain unforgivable curse to the chest.

Then there was the problem of McGonagall: she always seemed to be watching the 'dungeon-dwellers' closer than ever before, having the snagging suspicion that they would take some greater risks in causing turmoil against the other students now that the position of headmaster was filled by a former Slytherin who just so happened to have held the post of Head of Slytherin House for seven years, not to mention a current Death Eater.

Pansy thought it was ridiculous, really, what with the Carrows taking up teaching positions and the bloody Golden Trio gone for the time being, Hogwarts was her new sanctum. Dark Arts was her favorite class, not to mention she was getting top marks, Crabbe and Goyle scoring just below her; and Muggle Studies had been turned into a work of genius with lectures on how mudbloods were polluting the blood lines and that squibs and muggles were the scum on the bottom of wizards' trainers and that they were finally being put in their place: right beneath them.

It was obvious to her that the only ones really enjoying the new changes to the school were affiliates of her own house, and that the others of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor were looking at it as a form of torture. Not that she minded, of course. There was nothing worse than a sniveling idiot, a parvenu know-it-all, or an audacious git. That was why when the announcement that broke her out of her reverie, proclaiming that no one would be slain or injured as long as they handed over Harry Potter, she took action and exclaimed her thoughts. It was the obvious solution after all - enough blood had been spilled over the years on his account.

However, when she was told that she and her housemates would be the first escorted up to the Room of Requirement for escape, she was aghast. She has just laid out the solution of their problem and McGonagall passed it off as a lowly charge.

Anger flooded her body as she stood up and stomped off after Slughorn, getting quickly aggravated at his crawling pace. When they finally got there, she made sure that she was the first into the tunnel, taking up a brisk pace, entirely determined to reach the end and escape from the place she used to call home for ten months of the year.

It seemed like she was walking forever until, finally, the dark passageway sloped downwards and a tiny light could be seen not far off. Within another minute, she was jumping out onto the floor of the Hog's Head, a bar that she, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle visited a few times over the years. Her fellow students began tumbling out behind her not too long after and began disapperating right away.

Deciding that she was going to hold off for awhile, she meandered behind the bar, found a bottle of firewhisky and a goblin wrought cup, and strode over to a nearby table where she took up refuge and poured herself a glass of the burning drink, sipping it casually.

Students who were rushing to flee the scene, barely noticed her. Once in awhile, someone would look at her as if she was mad, then just shake their head and vanish into thin air along with the others. Laura Madley of Ravenclaw was even gutsy enough to say that she was pathetic, before disapperating along with Stewart Ackerley. Pansy ignored her, however and continued to sip away at her drink.

After a good twenty minutes of watching pupils barrel in and out the tavern like wildfire, she decided that she had enough; she couldn't stand to watch these sorrowing cowards any longer. Since she had nothing to go home for, her parents both fighting in the battle for the wizarding world at the current time, she chose to wander out into the dismal night. What better had she to do with her time?

Pulling her cloak tightly around her, Pansy stood up and jostled her way through the crowd to the door. The sound of the lock pulling back acted as an alarm to most; everything went silent as a copious amount of eyes fell on her petite frame.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing, Parkinson?" Orla Quirke asked as she watched Pansy open the door, giving everyone a view of the murky, ebony sky outside.

"What does it look like? I'm leaving." Pansy spat back as she spun on her heel to she who had addressed her.

"You can't leave!" Jimmy Peakes cried, "You'll set off the Caterwauling Charm and give us all away!"

"Why would I care if I gave you away? It's not like any of you mean even an inkling to me." She sneered.

"Let her alone guys, it's nothing to us if she leaves." A distinctly male voice called out of the middle of the crowd.

"Who said that?" Pansy questioned as she scanned the group. "Show yourself!"

Murmurs befell the room as Dennis Creevy worked his way through the mass. He stood, head raised, eyes steely, glaring at Pansy.

"I should have known, a bleeding Gryffindor…" She muttered as she rolled her eyes. "You finally taking to us Slytherins, Creevy? It's a little late for that."

"I haven't 'taken' to any of you pompous snakes, Parkinson. I'm just saying that they should let you go." He replied bravely.

"Oh, is that all? Well then, if you aren't showing kindness towards me, then why are you going to let me walk out of here, knowing full well that the charm will go off causing the village to be stormed with Death Eaters and you'll all be exposed?"

"That's easy," Dennis grinned as he spoke. "I'm hoping that when the charm goes off, since the Death Eaters are up attempting to take siege of the castle, that they'll go straight to the Dementors and let them give you the kiss. They'll never know who it was that fell. You'll never be more than a bad memory to any of them."

A collective gasp occurred before dead silence engulfed the room. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something to happen, every single person in the room doubtful that a Slytherin such as Pansy would let a remark like that go unpunished.

"You know what, Creevy?" Pansy said after a moment, breaking the intense hush that had swallowed them whole. "I like you, you've got guts saying something like that to me."

Dennis seemed to sigh with relief and turned to Romilda Vane, whispering something quietly to her.

"However," He turned back around at the sound of her voice, gulping upon realizing that she now had a firm grip on her wand, the tip pointed right between his eyes. "You should think before you speak to your elders, especially your superiors." And with that, she lowered her wand making it level with his chest before crying "Crucio!"

Dennis screamed out in agony as he crumpled to the floor, shaking all over. Cries from the crowd behind him didn't deter Pansy from her goal any, she held her wand steady, making sure not to give it any sudden jolts. Once it appeared that her victim was beginning to lose his voice from shouting so loud, she carefully lifted her wand upwards, Dennis' body floating slowly off of the floor. Every eye in the room was on the boy now, so when Pansy twitched her hand right, causing the body to fly over the counter, everyone saw his head smash against the glass cabinet in behind it before falling ungracefully to the ground.

Shrieks of terror were let out as the remaining students ran around the bar to see if he was alright. Pansy took this opportunity to split. Swiftly, she stuffed her wand back inside the inner pocket of her robes before turning and stepping out into the chilly night air.

As soon as she stepped over the threshold, the Caterwauling Charm went off, sending out a steady ringing sound. She ignored it however, and continued walking out into the dark, not caring at all that the village would probably be stormed with Death Eaters in about five minutes. What did she have to live for anyways? Draco was gone, her parents would probably fall before the night was over, who was left? Her friends? It not as if she actually valued the friendship of anyone at school besides Draco and occasionally Crabbe and Goyle when they weren't being complete morons.

Letting the alarm sooth her senses, she folded her arms across her chest and turned down a side street past Madame Puddifoot's. She didn't get far though, when four figures clad in black, skull shaped masks adorning their faces, came into view around the corner.

"Cue the charm! We've got 'em!" The one in front cried back. The one at the back raised his wand and the alarm ceased.

"Lumos!" Three of the Death Eaters lit their wands and began charging forward, eager to capture the fool to break curfew. Where the fourth went, Pansy had no idea, nor did she really care.

Pansy ignored the cry and continued to stroll down the cobbled street towards them, not thinking about the consequences. When they were close enough to see that she was only a child, barely of age, the one who appeared to be the leader said "What do you think you're doing out at this hour? You, like everyone else around, is on a curfew. What's your reason for bein-"

"Hey, isn't that Parkinson's daughter?" Another said as he raised his wand, the frosty blue light it gave off illuminating her face.

"It is!" The last one cried. "Pansy, it's me, Augi! What are you doing out here so late?"

Pansy recognized the man immediately as Augustus Rookwood, a friend of her parents who rolled around her manor from time to time on business.

"What's it to you?" She replied snidely. She was actually rather fond of the man in question, but she enjoyed annoying him even more; and she knew better than anyone that the one thing Rookwood hated was sarcastic and snide youths.

Rookwood frowned and Pansy smirked.

"Never mind _why_ she's out so late, I think the more prudent question would be _how_ is she out so late." Stated another familiar voice she was able to match with Travers, a regular over at Malfoy Manor because he was like a lap dog to Bellatrix.

"Yeah, I thought that she was a student up at the school." An unfamiliar voice that came from the final Death Eater noted. "Shouldn't they all be inside? We've got Dementors at every exit and secret passageway…"

"Looks like you missed one." Pansy said.

"Missed one? Which?" Rookwood enquired.

"What do I have to gain by telling you lot? Nothing."

"Is that how you're going to be then?"

"Looks that way." Pansy spat, wanting to get away from them as soon as possible. Of course, she was on their side in this battle, but she had meant what she said, she had nothing to gain by telling them that roughly eighty percent of the school was disapperating to Merlin knows where inside of the Hog's Head.

"Come on men, this slag obviously has nothing to tell us." The unknown man murmured.

Pansy gasped and drew her wand, about to jinx him, but Rookwood caught her hand, pleading her with his eyes to stop. Reluctantly, she lowered her wand, not putting it back inside of her robes.

"Take head Parkinson, people like us have many enemies this night." Travers said before he motioned for the other two to follow him back down the street and out of sight.

Waiting a few moments, she replaced her wand to it's rightful place in her pocket, took a quick glance around through the mist, than resumed her graceful glide down the lane.

She got less than ten paces when out of a side passage, someone grabbed her around the waist and covered her mouth, pulling her into the drive. Before she had time to attempt screaming or pull her wand, the figure turned her around to face him. The man was wearing long black robes, the hood pulled up concealing his face. Pansy could just make out a glimmer of ivory through the small crevice in the hood.

Definitely a Death Eater.

Not wanting to deal with another one at the moment, she attempted to make a run for it; unfortunately for her, he seemed to be expecting it. As soon as she made to bolt, he grabbed her shoulders and spun her back around to face him once more.

"You're not getting away from me." The figure stated with a tone of finality. Before she had another chance at attempted escape, the Death Eater reached up and hastily pulled down his hood and flipped up his mask. Pansy gasped when she realized that she was staring into the misty, grey eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Oh Merlin… It's you… It's really you…" She trailed off, her mouth having fallen wide. Without a second thought, she jumped up onto the tips of her toes and threw her arms around his neck, burying her head into his chest.

Draco wove one of his hands into her hair and let the other one fall to her waist, holding her tightly to him.

"It's alright, I'm here." He whispered sweetly into her ear in between placing gentle kisses in her dark, gossamer hair.

"I thought you weren't coming back." She stammered, trying her best not to let a single tear fall.

"You thought I'd deserted you?" He asked quietly as he pulled her back so he could look her in he eyes.

"I hadn't seen you in over a year, Draco. It wasn't that I feared you left me, but that something more dire might have happened. From time to time, I thought you were… You were…"

Draco didn't need her to finish: she had thought he was dead. He comfortingly began running his hand up and down her back. Deciding to change the subject to ease her mind, he chose to question her on a seemingly big issue, not to mention give her a small lesson in safety.

"Pans, what were you doing taking back to Travers, Rookwood, and Avery like that? They had the right to kill you for being out after curfew. Thank Merlin that Avery recognized you when he did. If he hadn't you'd have gotten Avada'd for sure."

"Rookwood knows me pretty well, he expects back talk from me." She replied simply, causing a genuine smile to cross Draco's face.

"You're mad sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah."

"How did you get out of here anyways? Word was that Hogwarts was on a lockdown trying to keep everyone safe."

"Not a lockdown really, more like an evacuation."

"Evacuation?" Draco repeated, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. McGonagall's taken charge and gotten everyone who's underage or doesn't want to fight out of the school."

"How?"

"A secret tunnel in the Room of Requirement that leads to the Hog's Head. Everyone was disapperating inside."

"What?"

"You heard me. Word is that McGonagall got everyone out so it would be easy access for Harry Potter to find something."

"Potter?" Now he was completely outraged. Pansy just nodded in agreement. "That bastard has my wand!"

"Your wand? What are you talking about Dra-" She was cut off by a huge bang off in the distance. Draco pulled her out of the lane so they had a good view of the castle. What looked like fireworks were erupting directly over the towers and parapets.

"So it begins." He mumbled before turning back to Pansy. "Look Pans, I have to go now but I promise you, I'll be back."

"Bu-"

"No buts, Pansy." Draco said as he raised a hand and began caressing her cheek. "I have to go, I'm expected up there. I want you to leave Hogsmade, get out of here as soon as you can. Go to Malfoy Manor, one of the house elves will let you in. Stay there until I return, and Pansy, I _will_ return." With that, he leaned down and gave her an ashen kiss. When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers. "Try not to get into any trouble when I'm gone."

"I won't." Reluctantly, Draco let go of her and turned around, stepping off towards the castle. However, he turned back after a few paces, dug around in the pockets of his robes, and finally withdrew from them, dropping a tiny object into Pansy's palm.

"_I will be back_." He murmured one last time before kissing her cheek and bolting off into the night where he vanished into thin air.

After she was sure he wasn't going to reappear again suddenly, she glanced down into her hand and let out a small gasp. Sitting in her palm was a small ring, a square cut emerald sitting securely on a platinum band. As she drew it closer to see it better, her eyes caught a glinting on the inside of the band. Angling it so she could see it inside, she smiled, her eyes teary at the glimmering words fading in and out in Draco's elegant script: 'Marry Me, Flower'.

At that moment, Pansy knew he would stay true to his promise.

"_You will be back_." She whispered out into the empty night.


End file.
